Coastal surveillance will be intensified: Chandy

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Sunday highlighted the need for heightened surveillance along the coast to prevent accidents at sea.

Speaking after inaugurating ‘Surakshaayanam - 2012,' a government-sponsored international exhibition and workshop on disaster risk reduction, he said a coordinated approach involving various departments was needed in all sectors to mitigate disasters and prevent accidents. The government, he said, was taking steps to intensify coastal surveillance.

Mr. Chandy said though the Navy and Coast Guard had rendered assistance to the State government in tracing the Italian ship from which marines had gunned down two fishermen and the ship that had collided with a fishing vessel, prevention of accidents and disasters needed coordinated action on the part of several departments.